Circle-swing.



J. A. KOEHLER.

CIRCLE SWING.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9. 1914.

1', 142,970. Patented June 15, 1915'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- WHNESSES; James A. Koehler, INVENTOR M BY ATTORNEY 1 rnuvm: FETEK; a0, F'HOTOJJTHQ, WASHINGTON. D c

J. A. KOEHLE'R.

CIRCLE SWING.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9. 1914.

1,142,970. Patented June 15, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

WITNESSES: James A. Koehler, INVENTOR A TORN EY.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOm-LITHO. WASHINGTON. D. c

JAMES A. KOEHLER, OF SAGINAW, IVIICHIGAN.

CIRCLE-SWING.

riaaero.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 15, 1915.

Application filed October 9, 1914. Serial No. 865,818.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES A. KOEHLER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Saginaw, in the county ofSaginaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Circle- Swings; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

This invention is a circle swing and the improvement pertains moreparticularly to that type of circle swings in which the cars containingthe passengers are suspended from above by long rods or connections thatpermit the cars to swing out radially and describe larger circles as thespeed increases, and the improvement pertains more particularly tocertain improved arrangements of mechanism, whereby the swing may bepropelled by the passengers in the cars.

One object of my improvement is to provide a simple yet strong anddurable propelling mechanism that will automatically adapt itself to thechange of position of the car as it swings outward.

A further object is to provide a driving means that will prevent injuryto the occupant of the car if the speed is suddenly increased ordesceased or if one operator Works the propelling cranks in his carfaster than the crank in the other car is turned.

A further object is to provide propelling means that will not permit thecars to be run backward.

With these and certain other objects in view which will appear later inthe specification, my invention consists in the devices described andclaimed and the equivalents thereof.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a view of the circle swing in use, Fig. 2 isa part sectional elevation of the upper circular track and the upperconnections of the driving mechanism. Fig. 3 is a part sectional sideview of the ratchet and pawl by which the traction wheels are rotated.Fig. 4 is a part sectional detail of the propelling mechanism in thecar.

As is clearly shown in the drawings the swing consists in acentralstandard 1 to the top of which is secured a spider 2 carrying acircular track 3. At the top of standard 1 is a revoluble collar 4carrying a number of radially disposed arms 5, there being as many ofthese arms as there are passenger cars. Each arm 5 carries a bracket 6having a horizontally disposed gudgeon 7 upon which loosely revolves aflanged wheel 8 that rolls upon the circular track 3 when the arms 5 arerevolved. At the outer end of each arm 5 is a bracket 9 that carries thegears and rods by which the wheel 8 is propelled as will presently bedescribed. Near the outer end of each arm 5 is also a bracket 10 fromwhich are suspended by suitable pin connections, the suspension rodsthat carrv the car. These suspension rods are designated by the numerals11, 12, and 18. The car 14 is secured to the lower end of the suspensionrods by pin connections.

The propelling mechanism comprises a ratchet and pawl operating incommunication with wheel 8, and the means for actuating the ratchet andpawl.

15 indicates a flanged hub, the flanges being secured to wheel 8 bybolts 16 or their equivalents, and the hub being formed with recesses 17adapted to receive the loosely pivoted pawls 18. The outer ends of. thepawls 18 are adapted to engage the teeth 19 of an internal ratchet wheel20 which is revolubly mounted on the gudgeon 21 carried by the flangedhub 15. The hub of ratchet wheel 20 is threaded to be received by theinternally thread cup 22 which is pin connected to the shaft 23 of abevel gear 24 supported by suitable bearings in bracket 9. A bevel gear25 meshes with gear 24 and its vertical shaft 26 carries a universaljoint 27 to which is connected the torsion rod 28 that leads to the car.

In the rod 28 is a telescoping extensible connection 29 that permits therod 28 to lengthen and shorten according to the tilt of the car while inuse. The lower end of torsion rod 28 carries a bevel gear 29 whichmeshes with a second bevel gear 30, both gears being carried by suitablebearings in a frame 81 secured to the car 14. The shaft 32 of gear 30carries a suitable hand crank 33 by which the internal ratchet wheel 20is rotated to propel the flanged wheel 8, through the medium of thepawls 18. When the crank 33 is turned in one direction it will cause thepawls 18 to lock the traction wheel 8 to the internal ratchet 20 so thatthe wheel 8 will revolve the arms 5 to move the cars ahead. lVhen thecrank 33 is turned in the opposite direction or when it is allowed tohang freely it will be inoperative, because the forward movement of thewheel 8 permits the pawls 18 to drop out of engagement with ratchetwheel 20 and the latter, together with its gears and rod 8 will remainout of action as regards wheel :5.

Since the pawls 18 do not operatively engage the ratchet wheel 20 unlesswheel 20 is rotated faster than wheel 8, it follows that if the occupantof one car is turning his hand crank at a faster rate than the occupantof another car can turn his crank, the occupant of the second car willnot be inconvenienced, because his crank will be inoperative to propelthe traction wheel of his car until the speed of the swing is reduced;and the movement of the car will not turn his crank.

By the means above described'l have produced a simple, strong and safeconstruction for circle swings in which the occupant of each car canassist in propelling the swing, if he desires, or the occupant of anyone car can do all of the work. As the speed increases, the cars, bymeans of their pivoted suspension rods 11, 12 and 13, are

permitted to swing out and describe a larger circle, while the torsionrods 28 adapt themselves both angularly and longitudinally to theposition of the car without interfering with their effectiveness fordriving. The occupant of the car maintains a normal, comfortableposition regardless of the speed of the car because there is no tendencyto throw the occupant out of the car when the speed increases, and thehand crank 33 alwavs maintains its proper position with relation to theoperator, being attached to the car body and not being affected by thechange in angularity or length of rod 28.

l/Vhat I claim is.

1. In a circle swing, the combination of a standard, a stationarycircular track supported by the upper part of said standard, radiallydisposed arms revolubly mounted on. said standard above said track,traction wheels carried by said arms and adapted to roll on said track,a car suspended from each arm, an extensible drive shaft, a flexiblejoint in said shaft near its upper end, driving means carried by the carand operatively connected to the lower part of said drive shaft, andpower transmitting means op eratively connecting said flexible joint andsaid traction wheel, said transmitting means adapted to propel saidwheel in one direction only.

2. In a circle swing, the combination of a standard, a stationarycircular track near the upper part of said standard, radial armsrevolubly mounted on said standard above said track, traction wheelscarried by said arms and adapted to roll on said track, cars suspendedfrom said arms, an extensible drive shaft, a flexible joint carried bysaid shaft near its upper end, driving means car ried by the car andoperatively connected to the drive shaft, and a pair of bevel gearscarried by said arms, one of said gears op eratively connected to saidflexible joint, a pawl carried by said traction wheel, and a circularratchet operatively connected to the second bevel gear of said pair, forthe purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES A. KOEHLER.

Witnesses:

NELLIE M. ANGUS, J. E. Gnnuns.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

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